The VIne,ofall Plants thefecondSundayin Lent. Seri 6. molt refembleth man. z). thofehaile-ftones ofour finnes, which beat it downeto theEarth, thát it can hardly rife again; thofe Deuils, which likethe children of Elam ; and goner= flours of the peopleofMoab,cry, Exinañite,exinanite,perfequimini,&comprehin- eiteearn. And the carelefneffe that is had in pruning it. Saint Bernardfaith, Thát the naturali Vine will askebut once pruning; but the metaphorical) Vine,a thou- fand prunings ; becaufe eueriefoot, newbuds, and new fprigs of vices begin to fproutvp in it; being fubieét(as Saint Paul faith) periculisinmari,pericslis in terra, toperills by[ea,andperillsby land,&e. Secondly, There isnot any Plant,whofcFruit doth more liuely reprefent the flenceofour nature. The Flower of the Vine reprefents vntovs our child- hood; thebeautie thereof, it's peaceablenefle,it's prettinefle, it's wittineflè,it's pleafingneffe, it's innocencie : Theflrarpeneffe and foureneffe thereof beeing greene, ouryouthshardneffe, harflmefle, tartneffe, and vnfeafonableneffe. The Grape it felfegrowneto perfeâion, the fweet,fauourie,difcreet,and ripe yeares ofour life,whereof that wine is madewhich glads the heart ofman,andwafhes awaycare. In the Rayfons,which by the heat oftheSunne proouingboth fa- uorie and wholefome, fernefor phyficke, is ourold age reprefenred vnto vs which oughtto be theAntidote of youth. If is that difcourfe which doth ad- uifevs, that we oughtnot todefpaireof our tart and diftaflefull youthfulneffe; forthe green and fours Grape comes not onely to bea ripe one, but turnes alto to beaRayfon ; andyour young wildLadscome not onely tobe ftaydand well gouernd men,but proue likewife graue,wife,& antient old Senators in the com- monwealth. Therniocles wasfuch ayoung lewd fellow,that his father did di- inherite him, and his mother for veriegriefe hung her felfe ; yet it was his for- tune afterwards tocome tobe amolt valiant Captaine,andto prooueamolt pru- dent Gouernour. The like hapnedto ,Alcibiades, andtovlpolernon, (fo faithra- leaim (maxim:ea) and toIselin: Gafar (as Fttlgoftaa reporteth it vnto vs.) Ar1otle (accordingveto .1ian) inhisyoungeryeares playedawayall his Patrimonie ; he followed the warres ; he found that thatcourfedid not fitwell with him,hee turnes Apothecarie, frequents the Schooles, andprooues in the end the Prince of Phylofophers. Thirdly, All forts of Trees, bethey barrenor fruitful),they haue their na- turall heigthandbredth,either moreor lefl'e,accordingto their feuerall kindes ; your Pines andyour Cedars arethe tallest ofall others ; your Wallnuts round likea Cup,andmore fpreddingat thetop : Ina word, euerie onehath his con- uenientftatureand proportion. Butthe Vine hath no determinateeither heigth or bredth ;if you let it alone, it willtrade vpon theground,& fo thefruit there- ofrotvpon the earth; ifyou let it leanevnto a pole, itwill runne vp to the top thereof ; if to anElme, itwill creepevp to the higheftboughes ; ifto awall, it will runne and (hoot it felfe along, till it bath clafpt it init's armes, and quite ouerfpred it. And this is thevene linage and true ftampe ofman; for, all li- uingbeaftsandother creatureswhatfoeuer, hauing their termes and bounds of augmentation, which they maynot pageand exceed ; Man,throughhis freewit, fauoured andaffiftedbyGrace, doth enioy fo great an excellencie, that hee can bythe helpe thereofleaue behind him the higheft Mountaines,reachingbypar- ticipation, toGodsowne Beeingandabiding. And though he cannot (hootvp thus highof himfelfe, .( beeing nobetterthan afillieWorme ofthe earth) yet being railed vpbyGrace, hemayclimbevp tothishappineffe, and flouri(h for euer in that eternall and glorious Paradife ofHeauen. The Holy-Ghoft hath Compared theSpoufe toa Wall,&her brefts,to thebranches ofrheVine,which Y a goe Thevine hath nobounds, n. more hathtb willof man. The fpoia compared to thevine. cazo. s. f
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